Automobile lock means



Feb. 26, 1929.

K. A. BRAUNING AUTOIOBILE LOCK MEANS Filed Aub 4. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet Feb. 26, 1929. K. A. BRAUNING AUTOMOBILE LOCK MEANS Filed Aug. 4, 192e 3 sheets-sheet 3 `Patented Feb.72s, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL A. BRAUNI-NG, OF STANFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEY-YALE'GL TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STANFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK MEANS.

Application meningen-4, 192s. serial No. 127,111.V

This invention relates to improvements lin locking means for autoiiiobiles,-one object of the invention being to provide eliicient means operable within and protected from attack 5A by the steering head, to lock the controlling ed out in tlierclaiins.v

means of anuautomobilein inoperativecondition.

A further object is to provide, in automobile locking means including a key-operated lock, simple and efficient means toprevent the key from being left iii the lock after the control elements ofthe automobile shall have been locked.

A further object is to provide locking mechanism including a key-operated lock, for a plurality of control elements of an automobile, which mechanism shalll be operable by a single movement of a controllever to lock said plurality ofk control elements and i. eject the key of lthe key-operated lock.

A further object is tov provide locking mechanism including a key-operated lock, for locking the clutch shaft and pedal and opening the ignition circuit of an automobile,

. which shall be operable, after the pedal lever shall have been depressed tov disconnect the engine, by a single'movement of a control lever to lock Vthe c utch shaft and pedal lever,

open the ignition circuit, and eject the key of the key-operated lock. Y v Y Vitlithese and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features in construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter more fully described and point- In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view .partly in section and partly in elevation showing an application of.y

my improvements with the parts in unlocked position.

Figure 2 2 2 of Figure 1. Y

' Figure 3 is a view in section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing portions of the control lever and key ej ecting means.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing t-he key-operated lock and key ejector.V A I Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.V Figure 7 is a view in elevation showing the key-operated lock and control lever.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view partly insec-y is a view in section on the line'` umn 2 passes. The lower end of the steering lcolumn is secured to a housing 3 and tothe upper portion of said steering column, a housing 4 is secured. in proximity to the dash board. A steering rod or Vshaft 5 extends through the steering column and located within tlie latter and surrounding said steering rod or shaft is a tubular member 6, the lower end of which carries a head 7`located within the housing 3. The member 6 and'its head 7 are mounted to turn and the latter car# ries a contact plate 8 to cooperate with contacts 9`9`carried by and insulated fromthe housing 3. In this manner a circuit breaker is provided for the ignition circuitof'the automobile. The under portion of thehousing Sis recessed as at and the head 7 vis recessed as vat 11, Figure 1, to permit movenected with the clutch shaft as presently explained, is provided at its upper end with a V recess forming a shoulder 13 which, when the head 7 is turned from thev position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 10, will be engaged by the sidel of the head 7 and thus lock the clutch shaft and pedal leveragainst movement. 'Y

The clutch shaft lis shown at 14 and the i shaft. The clutch shaft 14 is provided with an arin 18 and said arms 17 and 18 areadjustably connected by afscrew 19. To facilitatev the assembling of the cam arm `12 on the clutchrsliaft 14, said cam arm is provided near its lower end with a slot 20 havin one vend rounded to permit said arm to slipped Y Y over the shaft 141aiid thelatter is kHat/tened Y i as at 21,to be. engaged by the parallel Vwalls of the slot. When the cam arm l2 shall have vas at 26, Figure 3, for the accommodation o' a pin27 which is secured to the tubular member 6 and enters a suitable hole in the circular or strap member 23 oi the control lever so that when said control lever is moved, the

member G will be turned to edect the locking or unlocking of the cam arm l2 on the clutchY shaft and to eiiect the opening or 'closingoi the ignition circuit. d

" The'housing 4 is provided with a suitable transverse'bore 28 in which the cylinder 29 ot' a `lrey controlled'loclris secured, said cylinder carrying a bolt tobe projected by a spring v3l andfcaused' to enter a suitablehole 32 in themember 6 tolock the latter. lt will be noted', on referenceto Figs. 8 and 9,k that thebolt is located between the ends ot the cylinder and moves on aline parallel with a diameter thereof. The plug 33 vo the loclr is provided with a suitable cam 34 toengage a shoulder 35 on the bolt for withdrawing the latter when said plug is operated with the use of a proper key'. .Y

A key ejector 36 enters the key slot of the lock plug 33 and is vconnected at one end to a carrier 37, the latter being movable in slotted portions 38 in the lock cylinder and plug.

and in a groove 39 in the control lever. The control lever 24 is made with a recess 40 for the accommodation ot a pivoted, springpressed lever 41 provided with a lug or projection 42 which entersra groove 43 in the housing 4.V The bottom of this groove is made beveled orinclined.

37 which' is moved bythe spring-pressed'lever 4l' carried by said cont-rol lever, so that when thecontrol lever'is moved to the locked position, itcarries with it, the carrier 37 and ejector 36 thus ejecting the key if lett in the lock plug. As the control lever approaches the locked position, the spring-pressed lever 4l`is forced downward by the gradual shallowing of the groove 43 within which the'lug von saidv lever 4ltravels, so that when the key is inserted to unlock the mechanism, the keyejector can be pushed baclr over the vtop or" Y the lever41 .and into the as in Figure 5. When the lever 24 is 'movedina direction to turn themember 6 1lor loclring'the clutch shalt and. pedal lever and tor opening the ignition'circuit, the lever 41 will engage the carrier 37 'and thus cause the ejector-'36 to'be'moved longitudinally in a manner'to eject thekey from the loclr.

within the steering columin'a head c;

ing member and its head, and lie A The Vcontrol lever 24 operates the'ejector 36 by means of carrier unlocked nositionA lt will be observed that with my improvements, the actuating member 6 is enclosed within the steering column and protected by the latter from attack and Vit will also be seen that when the control lever is moved to locking position, theliey of the lool; will be ejected.

.ln operating my improvements to lock the clutch shaft and open the ignition circuit,

the clutch pedal must first be depressed to disconnect the engine and move thecani arm l2 to the position shown in Figure l0; after which `the leverl 24 willbe operated to turn the actuating`v member 5 and the head 7 to open the ignition circuit andlock the cam arm l2 as shown-in said Figure l0. When the lever 24Yshall have been thus operated, the bolt 30 will snap into locked engagement withthe actuating member 6. rlo place the automobile control means in operative condition, the bolt 30 will be retractedwith Vthe use of a key and the lever will be then operated to turn the actuating member 6.

ln my (2o-pending application Serial No. l2f',ll0` tiled simultaneously herewith, l have ,shownand described means for locking the .o col- 1 l a umn, and a clutch shaft, of a cam arm carried by clutch shalt, an' actuating' m by said member and 'cooperable-'with said .cani arm to loclrthe clutch shaft, inanually operable lever for turning said v-controlled vmember means liorloclringsaid actuati lever. Y i j f The 4combination with a steering colL umn, a clutchshatt, and a circuit breakerrior the ignition circuit, oigan Vmember housed in the steering vcolumma headfcarried by said mein-ber, said head cui'ryiiao the movable-,memberrol ysaid circuit breaiier, a cani arm lc arried'by the clutch shaft and'eooperable with said head, a manually Yojiera'ble lever connected with said actnat-ino-` member i'or 'turning said member'and the head carriedA thereby, and key-controlled means to loclr said member and lever.v

3. The combination with control means 'for an automobile, oi' locking'means torsaid control mez/ins, said locking means including an actuating in( toi-foi unin 'and controlmeans for an automobile, ot

steering rod and wheel Vmay movable on the beveled surface of the houslocking means for said control means, said locking means including an actuating meinbei' housed in the steering column, a manually operable lever supported by the steering column and operatively connected with said ac" tuating member, a key-coiitrolled lock associated With the steering col-umn for locking said actuating member, anejector 'for the key of said key-operated lock, and means operable by said manually operable lever for operating said ejector to eject a key from said key-operated lock.

5. The combination With lockingmeans inn cluding an actuating member, of a manually operable lever for moving said actuating member, a key-controlled lock for locking said actuating member, a key ejector in the" key-way ot said lock, and a lever carried by the manually operable lever for actuating' the key ejector when said manually operable lever is moved toward locking position.

6. The combinationwitli locking. means including an actuating member, of a Vmanually operable lever for moving said actuating member, a key cont-rolled lock lor locking said actuating member, a key ejector in the key-Way of said lock, a spring-pressed lever carried by the manually' operable lever for actuating tlie key ejector when the manually operable lever is moved toward locking position, and means for depressing the springpressed lever whereby upon subsequent msertion of a key in the lock, the ejector will be moved by the key. v

7. The combination With locking ,means iii-1 cluding an actuating member, of a manually operable lever for moving said f actuating member, a housing having a beveled surface,`

a key-controlled lock mounted in said housing and operable to lock said actuating member, a key ejector in the key-Way of said lock, a Yspring-pressed'lever carried by the manually operable lever fork operating said keyV ejector to eject a key When the manually operable lever is moved toward locking position, said spring-pressed lever'havmg a part ing to depress said spring-pressed leven."

8. In locking means for automobiles, the Y, combination with a steeiing column, and a clutch shaft, of a cam arm movable With the clutch shaft, an upper lhousing near the upper end of the steering column,a lower housing at the lower end of said steering columnan actuating member housed in the steering col-.

umn, a manuall operable lever connected Vwith said actuating member Anear the upper housing, a lock carried by saidupper housing for locking said actuating member, a head in the lower housing and connected with said ejectoigand a lever carried b the manu- Y ally operable lever and cooperab e with said carrier to move the ejector to eject `a key when said manually operable lever is moved toward locking position.

l0. In a lock, a lock control member movable from a neutral to an active position, a lock for locking said member in said active position, said lock being key Yoperable and havinga key ejector, said key ejector being operated to eject the key when said control member is moved to its active'position.

11. In aV lock, a locking member movable from unlocking to locking position, a lock for locking said member in locking position,

said lock being key operable and having a key ejector mounted in the keyWay thereof,

said ejector being movable relatively to said keyway to eject the key when the llockinV member is moved to locking position.

l2. Ina lock, av locking member movable from unlocking to locking position, a lockV for locking said locking member in locked position, a key ejector adapted to eject a key from said lock, and means operable'by said locking vmember While moving to locked position to actuate said ejectort-o eject the key.

13. In a lock, a locking member movable from unlocking to locking position, a key operated cylinder lock for locking'said locking member Vin locked position,v a key ejector adapted to lie inthe key-Way of said cylinder Ylock and movable to eject the key thereof,and

means operable by movement lof said locking member to actuate said ejector to eject the j key f Y V14. In a lock, a'locking member movablev from unlocking to locking position, a cylinder lock operable by a key. and adapted to lock said member'in its locking position, and means operable with said locking member While moving to locking position adapted to ejectvthe key from said cylinder lock.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification. Y j

KARL A. 'BRAUNINQ 

